Sue Thomas FBeye Season 4-1: Episode 5: Finding A Balance
by stfbeyefan
Summary: When family come for a visit, The team's world is turned upside down. Now they need to make everything right again, both with the case and with their personal lives.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sue Thomas FBeye or any of its characters, so if you recognize a person from this program or any other (I might put in a cameo here and there), know that I do not own them at all. All scenarios and people that you do not recognize, I own that, though they might be inspired from something else, but in no way is it copying them. If I am missing something in this copyright notice, please let me know! **

**KEY: Italics are a memory, and all caps is ASL. Sorry, some of my ASL grammar is bad. I only know a little ASL, so if anyone knows how to properly say any sentences I write in ASL, please let me know, and I will change it to be how it should be! **

**NOTE: This one's a short-ish story (especially since the last one!), but it's needed (and you'll find out why! It focuses less on a case, and more on personal stories, so get ready for a personal drama wild ride!**

**NOTE: Does anyone know Tara's childhood? I don't remember any episode elaborating on it, and I can't seem to find any pages online. I want to write about it in a later episode, but I don't want to rewrite something that has been already written. Thanks!**

**TRIVIA: Who's Lillian and James? First correct answer gets a new chapter!**

?-?

"Can you just pick a car already?" Maddy asked, exasperated.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Jack, Sue and Maddy were out car shopping for Jack at CarMax.

"How about this one?" he asked the girls, pointing to one car.

"That looks like the same one you have now, just a few years younger." Sue replied.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked, confused.

The girls shook their heads.

"How about we go with something different, something to make new memories in, not trying to remember old ones?" she smiled at him, stepping a few steps closer to him, both looking at each other's lips.

"Oh, just kiss her already!" Maddy said, seeing how they were looking at each other.

Hearing what she said, Jack quickly got out of the predicament and quickly walked over to some radically different cars. Sue followed, a bit confused as to why he left her side.

"How about this?" he said jokingly, walking backwards and waving towards a big black pickup truck with fire decals on it.

"Maddy waved to get Sue's attention so she could see what she said. Yeah, that fits you SOO perfectly. You can speed off to catch criminals with fire on your tail!" she exaggerated her "so" by fingerspellingand adding extra O's. Everyone laughed.

?-?

D sat in his recliner reading the Sunday newspaper. "I can now do this every Sunday," he thought to himself.

"I brought you some ice tea," Donna said as she walked into the living room.

He smiled at his wife as he took the glass. "Thanks."

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of the couch nearby.

D thought for a moment. "I honestly don't know. One second I'm fine with it, the next, I am depressed."

"You knew this was coming, sooner rather than later." She smiled at him He smiled back.

"I know. It's just hard to believe that it's actually here." He replied, taking a sip of his tea.

?-?

"This is it." Jack finally said, after looking through ¾ of the lot. Finally he picked a car. It was a blue crossover truck. Completely different style and color than his original car.

"Perfect!" the two women said, glad he finally made a decision. It wasn't the style of car that either of the girls would've liked, but the color was nice, and the seats were comfortable, and those were the most important things anyways.

"I like it." Sue replied.

"I'm starving." Maddy said. "Can we get some lunch after you buy it?"

Jack nodded, then he started laughing at a completely unrelated topic as they walked. "Do you remember when we had that stakeout in my car, you brought a picnic, and no one came out of that house all night long?"

Sue laughed along with him. "Yeah, we stayed up all night long. Matt with SOG was SO sure someone was in there. Turned out it was a cat and her newborn kittens who went into the garage, not people crawling on the ground!"

All three of them laughed.

"And then," Jack said, partially bent over from laughing. "Then you spilled ketchup all over my light colored jeans, and when we got back to the bullpen in the morning, everyone thought someone was killed on top of me, or I was bleeding like crazy?"

"Hey," she said, laughing just as hard as he was. "I can't help that it came out like a fountain!" she motioned how the ketchup landed on Jack.

"You guys are crazy." Maddy said, not laughing as hard as the two, since she wasn't there to see what they were laughing about.

"There is still a ketchup stain on the carpet of the car." Jack replied, calming down on the laughing.

"How about when we had to pretend to make out just to keep our cover when we were following a friend of yours that you suspected was part of that scam?" Sue laughed.

Jack smiled, but wasn't laughing as hard as she. "Now that's a good memory."

"Yeah, until that police officer gave you a ticket because you were parked in front of a fire hydrant." Sue teased.

Now Jack laughed. "Yeah, that's me. A FBI agent who gets tickets for not following the rules."

"Wow, you really do have a lot of memories in that car." Maddy said, sort-of shocked. She sure didn't have those kind of memories in her own car. Then again, she was still young. She had time.

"This is only a few, wait until I tell you about the time when Sue and I went…"

Sue and Jack kept on telling Maddy stories all throughout the purchase of the new car, the drive to the restaurant in the new car, and during lunch. She loved hearing how her friends had so much fun at the FBI, undercover, and personally.

?-?

Myles came into the bullpen Monday morning very matter-of-factly, with a smirk on his lips. Everyone noticed.

"What's up with Mr. Proud over there?" Mya asked Tara.

Tara gave her a glare, then answered, "I don't know."

Myles sat down very proudly, but realizing he forgot to grab something, he got up again and went to get it from across the room. Sue was coming through the door, and Myles held the door open for her, and bowed.

"Why, good morning Ms. Thomas." He replied when she looked at him with a confused look on her face.

"Good morning." She looked at him in shock all the way to her desk, as did Mya, Tara, Sarah and Jack, who also were in the room.

"What's up with you?" Sarah bravely asked.

"I had a date with a beautiful woman last night." He replied proudly.

"Who was the victim?" Jack jokingly asked.

Myles glared at him. "The woman came willingly, and it was Catherine, Randy's temporary replacement." He said as he walked back to his seat.

"That woman?" Any time I walk down the hall and she is there, she just glares at me, and I have nothing to do with her!" Sarah exclaimed.

"To each his own," Sue shrugged and replied, sitting down.

"Mhm, or to Myles his own." Jack whispered towards Sue, knowing only she could see what he said. She replied with giggles.

?-?

"Wow, look at this place. Look at all these tall buildings!" Lilian exclaimed.

"Yes, dear, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." James said jokingly. He got a glare from his wife in response.

After a few minutes, Lilian asked, "Do you know where you're going?"

"Yes, dear."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, look, it's right up ahead."

"Ah!" she replied.


	2. Chapter 2: CONGRATULATIONS JeanneJam!

**CONGRATULATIONS JeanneJam! You got it, but you didn't. Since I'm giving it to you, you'll probably figure out what I mean. If not, chapter 3 will make more sense of what I'm saying.**

**NOTE TO Guest: Good Guess! I love that episode. Nope, their names are George and Mary. Thanks for trying!**

**TRIVIA: Who is SAM3-9? First correct answer gets a new chapter!**

D walked into the bullpen, then stopped.

"I can't believe this will be the last time I will walk into this place." He thought, right before he walked in. When he did, the whole team, minus Bobby, who was still recovering in California, popped out and yelled, "Surprise! Happy Retirement!"

D looked at his friends. He was going to miss this fun-loving group when he moved to a desk job upstairs next week. At least he was going to still be at the FBI, but he will miss his team greatly. "Thanks guys." He smiled.

"How does it feel to retire from being an agent?" A familiar voice said from behind Sue and Sarah. The person emerged from behind them.

"Lucy! How good to see you! It's been forever!" D exclaimed.

"I wouldn't miss one of my friends' retirement party!" she said as she hugged him. "Besides, I had to see how my replacement was faring with this team."

All the guys laughed.

They all gathered around a cake that said "Happy Retirement D!", and sang Happy Retirement, in the tune of Happy Birthday. The cake was cut, and everyone grabbed a piece.

"Mya-Ann!" a woman said as she walked into the bullpen.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Mya stepped away from the party and walking towards them in the corner of the room.

"We came to visit you, honey!" Lilian said, he husband nodding.

"You didn't have to come here," she whispered aggravatedly.

"Well, we wanted to see you, plus, we needed to ask you-"

"Listen up!" Jack said loudly after hanging up the phone that rang a few minutes prior.

Once everyone was paying attention, he said, "We have a lead on a drug dealer team we've been following for a while. Let's get ready to go in an hour. They're meeting in two hours at a warehouse just outside of town."

With that, the guys left to go get ready.

Turning back to her parents, Mya impatiently asked, "So, you were saying? I have to get back to work."

"Your sister is missing. We can't find her anywhere." Lilian said, worried.

"Come with me." Mya replied bluntly, pulling on her Mom's arm.

?-?

Who is that?" Sue asked Tara, pointing to the man and woman Mya was talking to.

Tara shrugged. "She said "Mom" and "Dad", so I assume her parents. She's never talked about them, so I had assumed they had died or something."

"It looks like a 'or something.' She doesn't seem to get along with them very well." Sue replied, looking back at them.

"Are you getting more cake? I definitely am." Lucy said when she touched her friends' arm to get her attention.

Sue smiled. "Sure."

Once they arrived back at the table with the cake, Lucy said with a big smile, "So? Any sparks flying yet?"

Sue looked at the ground and blushed a bit. "Lucy, were still coworkers."

Lucy frowned. "I heard they updated some of the rules. Few years ago. Have you checked them?"

"For what?" Sue asked.

Lucy smiled, taking a forkful of cake. "Maybe you might want to do just that."

Sue just glared at her friend. No matter how many years pass, she still matchmakes her and Jack together. Maybe she was starting to believe it herself?

?-?

Mya led her parents to a meeting room so they could talk privately. Once situated, she asked, "What do you mean missing?"

"She just up and left about 3 weeks ago. No trace of her. The police tried tracking her phone, but the sim card was taken out, whatever that means. All they know is that the last known location of the card was around here."

"It means she doesn't want to be tracked." Mya interjected to her Mom.

"We've tried everything, so we're hoping you and your team could help find her." James said hopefully.

Mya shook her head. "No. She doesn't want to be found, and I'm not helping you. I'm glad she was bold enough to leave. I'm not helping you find her, just to torture her again."

"Torture her! What on earth do you mean?" Lillian exclaimed.

"I know what you did all through her life. Just because someone is different doesn't mean that they can't do anything they set their mind to, and you don't need to force things someone doesn't want to do down their throat either. You thought I was crazy when I left to come here. Now you're magically fine with it, because I'm successful. Big surprise. I'm not doing your dirty work."

"Be reasonable!" James yelled as Mya stood up.

"Reasonable?! I'll be reasonable when you apologize to her for all the times you put her down or forced her to do something that was 'just as good'. That was your way of saying that you thought she couldn't do it, so you gave what you thought was equivalent, which was nowhere near equivalent to what she wanted, or needed. Then, maybe then, I will talk to you again."

With that, she stormed out of the room.

?-?

D, Myles and Jack were waiting outside the warehouse to get the approval from Tara in the truck nearby to go in. Through hacking into the security cameras, she was able to tell when all the people that they wanted to bust was in the warehouse.

"On my count, 3-2-1, go!" she yelled, and watched the guys bang the door down.

"FBI!" she heard Jack yell.

The next thing was gunshots, from both the team, and the criminals. Smoke blocked all view from Tara's cameras to see what was going on.

"SAM-1! This is SAM3-3. SAM3-9 is down! Repeat, SAM3-9 is down!"

"Oh, God, please no." Tara said as she called for an ambulance.

?-?

"Your parents aren't staying?" Sue asked when Mya came back into the bullpen a bit later, a frown on her face. Without replying, she went to her computer, and started typing furiously.

"Mya? Is something wrong?" Sue prodded.

"NO. DON'T CODDLE ME." Mya signed furiously. With that, she ran out of the room.

Confused, Sue turned back to her desk, and Amy.

"SHE KNOW SIGN?" Amy asked.

"DON'T KNOW." Sue responded. "There's something she's not telling us." She said, looking after Mya.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE TO b1212: How did you guess? :p You'll find out soon enough who she is!**

Donna was whistling through her work, she knew that only one more day, and her husband will be retired from being a special agent. One more day! They were going to spend this week in Florida, then come back to his new desk job. This was a good thing, and she was excited.

The phone rang as she was coming up the stairs with a basket of laundry, so Donna answered it in the kitchen.

"Hello?...What?" was all she could say to the caller. She unconsciously hung up, and slid down the cabinets, until she was sitting on the floor. She broke down in sobs.

?-?

When Jack, Myles and Tara came back, Sue came up to them. "What's up with Mya, she signed to me, then ran out of the roo-"

"D was shot." Jack interrupted glumly.

That stopped Sue short. "What? Did I read you right?"

"D was shot. Do you guys want to come with us and wait at the hospital for more news?"

Sue interpreted for Amy, and she quickly nodded along with Sue, both worried.

Squeezing past the guys, Tara said, "I'll just leave a note for Mya when she comes back."

?-?

After crying for a bit, Donna finally had the courage and the stamina to convince herself to go to the hospital. Once there, she saw the team, all waiting for the same news. "Hi guys." She quietly said.

"Hi, he's in surgery right now. They don't know when he will be out. Jack informed her.

She smiled as sat down next to Sue. "Thanks."

"How are you?" Sue asked.

Donna stared into space. "I don't know. If this was a week ago, I know I would be better with it. But this was his last day. Last day! How could something go so wrong on his last day?"

Because she was turned partially away from Sue, she didn't catch everything she said, but she knew just being there with Donna was comforting.

Sue's phone vibrated. It was a FaceTime from Troy's office computer. "It's probably Maddy," she said mostly to herself.

"HELLO." Maddy signed excitedly.

"HELLO." Sue replied sadly.

WRONG WHAT?" Maddy asked.

"D WAS SHOT."

Maddy looked at her in shock. "EVERYONE OK?"

Sue nodded. "HE IN SURGERY."

Maddy nodded. "ME CALL YOU LATER, NO, ME VISIT YOU. MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER." She sadly smiled, trying to be encouraging.

Sue smiled at her young friend. "THANK YOU."

Once Sue hung up, a doctor came out looking for D's family and friends. Once everyone came around and Sue could see, the doctor explained.

"He is stable now."

Everybody let out a sigh of relief.

"The bullet just missed his heart by a few inches and nothing really was injured, but we have him on a sedative right now. I suggest only family right now. He will probably wake up tomorrow, so you all can see him then, but only two at a time.

They let Donna go with the doctor, and everyone else went to their cars to go back to work.

?-?

"I don't know how we can work," Tara complained, throwing some papers on her keyboard so she wouldn't have to look at it.

"You're not alone, Williams, you're not alone." Myles replied, still staring at the same sheet of paper as he was a hour prior, when they came back.

"Listen to me, Mya-Ann!" Lillian yelled after her daughter, who came into the room, her parents tailing her. She wheeled around.

"I told you, I'm not helping you, go away!" she ran to her desk and sat down.

"If you'd just listen to your Mother, maybe you'd learn something." James said loudly.

"No. I'm not listening to my lying braggarts of parents, even if it is just to please you. Just go away, and leave me alone!"

During this argument, Maddy came into the bullpen. "Who wants feel-better donu-" Once she saw who was in the bullpen, she quickly set the box of donuts on Sarah's desk, and ran out of the room.

"What's up with her?" Sarah asked, seeing how she bolted.

"I know what." Mya said determinedly. Her parents looked at Mya, then the door in shock.


	4. Chapter 4

"YOU DO WHAT?" Troy signed to Maddy as she furiously threw stuff in her suitcase in the bedroom Troy gave her, where she was still staying.

"ME GO." She replied in between flings.

"WHY?" he prodded, totally confused.

"ME NEED TO GO." Was all she said. When she got everything, she picked up her suitcases and threw them in her car.

Before she got in the car, Troy signed, "YOU GO WHERE?"

"DON'T KNOW. CA MAYBE. FAR AWAY." She replied before getting in.

He grabbed her arm before she could get in all the way.

"WHY?"

Maddy signed. "DESCRIBE HARD."

With that, he had to let her go. There was no stopping her.

?-?

"OK, what is going on here? Why did Maddy bolt?" Jack asked.

Mya sighed, giving in to the inevitable. "Maddy's my sister."

"Your what? Everyone exclaimed at once.

Mya nodded.

"Madeline's our daughter. She went missing about a month ago, and we have been looking everywhere for her.

Jack nodded. "About the time when we met her." He turned to Mya. "Why didn't you tell us this?"

"I never met her! I just assumed it was another Deaf Madeline. I didn't put the two together until I saw her in the doorway." She replied.

"You know where she is? Can you take us to her?" Lillian asked Jack, walking closer to him.

"Lillian," James said, pulling her back by Mya's desk.

"If she is the subject of your argument, I don't think she is where I know where she was. Before I see, I need to know the whole story.

"And you'll get the truth, even if I have to drag it out of them." Mya grumbled.

?-?

Donna sat by her husband's bed, praying, just praying. "Please, Lord, bring him back to me. I need him. We need him. Please God." She buried her head in the blankets, letting herself go to the tears.

?-?

They got a couple seats for Lillian and James, and so the three started their story. The team gathered around them to find out what was going on.

"My Mom's a control freak." Mya started.

"Am not!" Lillian objected.

"Are too! It wasn't Maddy who wanted to go to that hearing school and be made fun of, that was you! And who taught her Sign Language? Not you, oh no, why would someone want to know Sign Language? That was for the dumb people who weren't good enough to know how to speak and read lips. Your words, not mine. We learned together. You never wanted her to learn one bit."

Lillian considered what her daughter said. "Part of that is true. I never not wanted her to know Sign Language, I just didn't want her to ONLY use Sign Language."

"Yeah, like that was even possible." Mya said sarcastically. "You know what she did for you? She blasted her hearing aids up so loud so she could hear as best as possible that she ALWAYS heard ringing in her ears from reverberation. She wanted to be a hearing person SO BAD for you, that she did things that she hated for you. Finally, she just gave up and ran away. You know wha-"

"Alright!" Jack yelled, trying to get Mya off this rampage. He almost liked it better when she was quiet and made those snide remarks every once in a while. That he could handle. This, he couldn't.

"This is the longest we've heard Mya speak. At least we know she can talk," Myles said sarcastically. Everyone glared at him. It wasn't the right time for sarcastic jokes, yet Tara and Sarah had a glint of laughter in their eyes. They always got the brunt of Mya's sarcasm.

"OK, so what I am gathering is that you wanted to have your daughter do all the things a hearing person can, and she just went along with it out of love for you. Finally, she got fed up with your pushing and prodding and left." Jack summarized.

"My Mom's very similar. She made me do so many things I hated, but when I look back, It was totally out of love for me. Sure, we have our arguments, but we still love and talk to each other. Something must've happened that pushed Maddy over the edge. Do you know what it was?" Sue interjected.

Lillian thought for a minute. "The day before she left, we were talking about colleges. She wanted to go to Gallaudet, but we really wanted her to go to a University in France, near where my brother lives. That way she can stay with family, instead of strangers."

Mya pulled her head back and stared at the ceiling. "Oh, God, that's why." She furiously looked at her Mother. "Did you ever think that she didn't want to go because it's hard enough to know what is being said in American English. Add a French accent, she won't be able to understand a thing! I assume you had a big argument?"

"Why, yes." Lillian replied.

"That's it. I'm going to Troy's to find out where she went to. Give me directions." She demanded at Jack

Once he gave them to her, Mya left the room.

?-?

Maddy blasted the radio. The song on the radio just made her tear up, so she pulled over and cried her heart out.

She couldn't take one more day

Home was more her prison now

Independence called out

She had to get it

A fight was all she needed

To give her reason

She slammed the door with no goodbye

And knew that it was time

Now she's driving too fast

She didn't care to glance behind

And through her tears she laughed

It's time to kiss the past goodbye

I'm finally on my own

Don't try to tell me no

There's so much more for me

Just watch what I will be

(Song, She Walked Away by BarlowGirl)

"God, please. I need someone to save me. I can't do this on my own." She whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

**TRIVIA: What is Sue referencing when she says that she's had it happen to her?**

"HELLO." Mya signed to Troy when she arrived, who was distractedly looking down the road.

"HELLO." He replied.

"ME LOOKING FOR MADDY. YOU SEE HER YOU?" Mya asked.

Troy nodded. "SHE GO. DON'T KNOW WHY."

Mya looked worried. "WHERE?"

"SHE SAY CA."

"California! God, please no." Mya quickly signed a THANK YOU, and drove off, looking for her.

Before Mya could make it to the highway, she saw a green bug sitting on the side of the road. She pulled up behind it, and got out to go see the driver. Once she got there, she saw Maddy, her head on the wheel. The radio was blaring, so she knew knocking wouldn't help, but she tried anyways. She also tried waving and jumping up and down. Finally, Maddy looked at her.

"US-TWO TALK?" Mya asked.

Her eyes were filled with tears, but she nodded and opened the car so that Mya could get in the passenger seat. She turned down the radio.

Once situated, Maddy asked, "THEY COME WITH YOU?"

Mya shook her head. "NO."

They sat there for a few minutes in silence.

"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE. ME FIND YOU NOW. ME WANT YOU TO STAY. ME NEED YOU TO STAY." Mya coaxed.

"NO. YOU TELL PARENTS ME HERE. THEY LOVE YOU. NOT ME. THEY COME TO BRING ME BACK, SEND ME AWAY. FAR AWAY" Maddy signed furiously.

Mya stared at her little sister in shock. "YOU THINK WHAT THEY DID WAS RIGHT? THAT ME LIKE THAT? NO. ME HATE THAT. ME DON'T KNOW YOU HERE. IF ME KNOW, ME VISIT YOU."

Maddy looked suspiciously at her. "I don't believe you." She finally said and signed.

"Come on, Maddy!" Mya yelled to the roof of the car in exasperation. She looked at her sister again, who was staring out at the road. "What do you want me to say to make you believe me?"

Maddy quickly turned to look at Mya. "Nothing." She said and signed. "Just nothing. They always have loved you more than me because you are not their daughter and hearing, unlike me, their daughter and Dea-"

"That is NOT true! Even though I was adopted, you are just as much their daughter as I am. They didn't reject their own daughter because I'm hearing. And Mom just wants the best for you. She didn't know what to do, so she pushed you in the wrong direction. What she did was wrong, but you can't blame all your problems on her." Mya was not only trying to convince her sister, but also herself. "I certainly have." She mumbled to herself.

Maddy looked at her with more tears forming in her eyes. "And what do I say when I tell them I am losing my hearing further?"

"Oh Maddy." Mya said, pulling her sister in a hug. "Everything will be OK." She whispered.

After a few moments, Mya released her sister from the hug. "Are you ready to go back?"

?-?

"Hi, Mom." Davey said as he and his sister walked into the hospital room.

She looked up. "Davey, Tanya! I'm so glad you could make it!" Donna said while she got up and hugged her children.

"Mhm." D said as he moved his head. Everyone gathered around the bed. Slowly, he opened his eyes. "Donna, Davey, Tanya?" he squinted at his family.

"Yes, we're all here. How are you feeling ?" Donna asked softly.

"Stiff." He replied. Everyone chuckled, despite the situation.

"Everything's going to be OK," Donna whispered as she hugged her husband.

?-?

Mya convinced Maddy to come back with her. As they walked into the bullpen, Maddy suspiciously looked at her parents who were still there, worried for their daughter.

Before she could get to her parents, Sue stepped in the way. "Could I tell you a story?" she said and signed.

"I guess." Was Maddy's reply, along with a shrug.

"After I lost my hearing, my Mom wanted only the best for me. She made me go to a speech therapist to learn how to speak, go to a hearing school, do just about everything a hearing person does. It was very hard, and we had many arguments, but we still love each other. We are family after all." She said and signed, then she laughed. "We still have arguments, to this day. Sometimes, if my brothers are around, they have to stop us. This is just how each of us are. She wants things a certain way, and I want them another. You have to look past the differences, and focus on the good things. What do you like to do together, that you don't do with anyone else? None of us are perfect. Everyone is still learning. But you have to tell people when something is wrong, not just let them talk and talk, and not put your own say in the matter. Believe me, I've had this happen to me many times." Sue studied Maddy's face. She was ready. Sue stepped back to her desk. Maddy walked up to her parents, looking her Mom straight in the eye.

"I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive you for what you put me through growing up, but maybe one day. I need you to understand that I need to do things my way. You can't control me anymore. I want to stay here in D.C. with Mya, go to Gallaudet, and work at Troy's garage like I am doing now. I love this life that I've created these last few months. I love my friends too. Maybe we can talk once a week, but I need you to keep your distance right now as I find myself. I'm growing up, and I need you to understand that."

Lillian and James looked at each other. "OK." Lillian said when she turned back to her daughter. "You really have grown up. I'm proud of you."

Maddy smiled happily.

"How about we go visit Gallaudet while we're here?" her Mom smiled, then looked at Mya. "Do you want to come with?"

Mya nodded and smiled. All four of them walked out the door.

Sue walked over to Jack." It looks like you were right to worry about Maddy."

"But you were right to let her be. I don't think any of this would have happened if I had Tara research her parents. She would've bolted, like she did today. Only Mya wouldn't have known, and wouldn't have been able to save her."

Sue smiled at him. "I guess we were both right."

"Dinner tonight as a celebration?" Jack asked."

"Sure." She said excitedly.


	6. Chapter 6

This time, to avoid Carla, Jack waited in the car. The moment Sue came out and started walking towards his car, he fell in love with her all over again, for probably the 1,000th time. The setting sun cast the most beautiful shadows and lit up the most beautiful parts of her face. She looked stunning in the red dress she wore.

"Good evening," he said once she came in the car and looked at him.

"Hi," she smiled at him.

"YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL." He signed.

"THANK YOU." She replied. "Where are we going tonight?

"I thought of a hot dog joint on the other side of town." He replied.

Sue wrinkled her nose. "Did I read you right? Hot dogs?"

Jack laughed. "Joking!"

Sue laughed along with him. She loved how he would joke, and she would totally believe him sometimes.

?-?

The next morning, they all received some hopeful news.

"Listen up!" Jack said once everyone was present and looking at him.

We have another lead on the guys that shot D. I'm sure you all feel the same way that we need to catch these guys more than ever."

Everyone nodded.

"According to Myles' snitch that found out about them in the first place, they are meeting in the same warehouse. Obviously these guys aren't very smart, but we know they are very open with their firing, and that they can run fast. We will have backup ready at all entrances of the warehouse so that we can catch these guys this time, and hopefully have no casualties or injuries. We leave in an hour, so let's start getting ready."

As soon as the guys left to go get ready, Tara got up and stood by Mya's desk. "I want you to be the head of the on-location surveillance team this time."

"Me?" Mya asked, shocked.

"You've proven that you can handle stressful situations. I will be here as a backup, but I want you on your own in the field. You can do this." Tara replied encouragingly.

"I don't think I can."

"You can, and you will. Now go get ready!" Tara pushed her out the door.

?-?

Mya nervously sat in the surveillance van near the warehouse, listening and watching all the agents getting into place.

"Oh dear Jesus, please let everything come out OK." She whispered, right before the agents went in.

She copied everything she had watched Tara do countless times, yet with a shaky hand, and a shaky voice. But she did them. No one is perfect on their first time.

In the end, everything came out perfectly, the men were surprised, therefore unarmed, so they were arrested willingly. Mya let out a breath of relief once she was sure everything was safe. Tara was right. She was ready.

?-?

Back at the bullpen, Tara, Sue, Amy and Sarah were all itching to find out how everything went.

"This country is short one less drug team, and on to the bigger dog!" Mya excitedly said. Everyone cheered with her as she sat down at her desk. "What's next?" she looked around. Everyone laughed.

Once everyone settled down and got back to work, Mya walked up to Tara.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I was how I've acted ever since I got here. I know it wasn't right, but I was just so mad at my parents, and it came out in my actions. I promise you, I will try not to do that anymore."

Tara smiled at her. "It's OK. Now that I know why, I understand."

Mya smiled, glad that she understood, and went back to her own work.

?-?

Later that day, the whole team went to see D in the hospital. When they arrived, they saw bouquets of flowers all around the room, and his family crowded around his bedside.

"Hey!" D exclaimed weakly when he saw his friends.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked.

D nodded. "Better."

"We have some more news that will make you feel even better." Tara smiled.

D returned the smile. "What?"

Tara waved to let Mya tell him.

"We caught the guys that shot you!" she explained excitedly.

"She ran the surveillance van all by herself today." Sara explained.

D nodded again. "I'm glad. Thank you."

"Woah, too many people in this room!" A nurse said as she walked in.

"FBI. We're here to check up on our agent coworker." Myles replied to her boldly, showing her his badge. She looked at it a bit frightened.

"O-OK." She replied, quickly checking on D's vitals, then skedaddling out of the room. D chuckled at the sight. "Myles, don't frighten the nurses. They are the ones that need to take care of me to get better!"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he won't scare anyone else with his Harvard degree." Sarah replied, glaring at Myles.

Everyone laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: I can't believe no one got the trivia! Sometimes you guys catch some deep things in the story that I didn't even catch, and the one time I put something more deep in the story as a trivia, no one catches it! Lol! Anyways, the answer is when Sue and Lucy were looking for an apartment, and Sue was nervous about rooming together, but she was afraid to mention it, and so she just went along. As I was watching another Sue the other day, I realized she did the same thing about her high school classmate's wedding as well. Both answers would be correct. Anyways, there's always next time!**

?-?

Exactly one week later, D came into his favorite bullpen. Once everyone saw him, they cheered.

"Hey, I just came in here to collect my things."

"That's OK, it's just great to see you out of the hospital!" Jack replied.

"I actually shouldn't be here." D confessed. "I'm not supposed to start work for another week, but I just couldn't wait to see you all again."

"You don't have to come to work to see us, just call us on the phone, we'll come right away!" Tara replied, overhearing what D said.

He laughed. "I know. I just missed this place."

"This place? You missed the place that kept you here because of long hours, peril every day, Randy, and who knows what else, and you missed that?" Myles said, shocked.

"Believe it or not, yes." D replied, laughing.

Once he finished packing his stuff in a box, he said to everyone, "Alright, I will see you all later. Davey and Tanya are leaving tomorrow morning, so we are having a goodbye dinner tonight, and I need to pick up a few things from the store."

"That's what happens when children grow up, they move far away from their parents." Sarah replied looking into the distance, obviously thinking of her own parents.

As soon as D left, Peter came into the bullpen, headed straight to Amy and Sue. Once they looked up, he said, "I like what I'm seeing. I am going to move Amy to an actual team starting on Monday. There is one team that 3 out of 5 people know ASL to some degree, so she should feel somewhat comfortable. She can always come see you, but I want you two separated to diversify your talents. Good job on picking talent!" he smiled at both of them as Sue translated. Once she finished, Amy excitedly got up and hugged him. A bit shocked at first, he hugged her back.

Peter started walking out of the bullpen, but remembered something else he needed to tell everyone. "Demetrius' replacement will be moving onto your team first thing Monday morning. He's fresh out of Quantico, so be nice!" he laughed, knowing how this team loved hazing new people. With that, he left.

"I wonder what he's like," Tara asked no one in particular.

"I bet he's tall, dark, and handsome, just your type." Myles said sarcastically, getting up to get some more coffee.

"Sorry, I'm taken for a wonderful, handsome filmmaker."

"Yes, when will we be able to meet him?" Sue asked, coming closer to Tara.

Tara smiled. "Soon. He's coming early in December to shoot in D.C. during Christmastime. It's a Christmas movie!"

"Ooh!" Sue replied.

"Hey guys!" Mya said as she, her parents and Maddy walked in.

"Hi!" Sue replied.

Maddy looked excitedly at the team. "I'm going to Gallaudet in the spring!" she almost jumped up and down.

Congratulations were given all around the room.

Mya put her arm around her sister and smiled. "And we're going to be roommates. I found a larger apartment the other day, and we're moving in tonight."

"That's great! I'm happy for you." Tara said.

"I'm so excited!" Maddy said, unsure of what else she could say to show her excitement. She didn't need to. Everyone could see it on her face.

?-?

About 2 hours later, Myles got up. "I will see you all tomorrow."

Jack looked at his watch. "Where are you going? It's only 4."

"A date. I need to make sure I look my best." He replied, running his hand through his hair.

"A date? With Catharine?" Tara prodded.

"If you must know, yes."

"You must really like her." Sarah said a bit sarcastically, not looking up.

"She's very intelligent, and I very much like her company." He replied defensively.

"Well, sor-ry!" Sarah replied, looking up, hands in the air.

"Hrmph." Was his reply as he walked out of the bullpen.

?-? **Listen To: Coming Home by Jill Paquette Dezwaan**

That evening, Mya, Maddy, Lillian and James were dragging up boxes from the car up to the new apartment building. Once finished, they looked around.

"I will put up my music posters over there." Mya said, pointing to a wall near the windows.

"And I will put my videophone over there." Maddy said, pointing to a place where you could see it from either the kitchen or the living room.

"Hey, I was planning on putting my CD racks over there!" Mya complained.

"You can put your CD's in your room. I'm not using them." She paused, then smiled. "Well, maybe a few." Maddy laughed.

"Hey!" Mya exclaimed.

"Girls, come on." Their Dad interjected. "You don't need to plan anything right now."

The sisters looked at each other and smiled. "Your right. We'll argue about this tomorrow." Maddy laughed as she sat down on the couch that still needed to be moved.

?-?

D looked around the table at his family. He thanked God right there that he was here. He didn't want to miss a single second of this. His beautiful wife laughing. His kids teasing each other. What could be better? Sure, he'd have to get used to not being out in the field anymore, but with his family here, he knew he could manage. Besides, most of his friends would tell him what he was missing in great detail that he wouldn't have to be there at all. Especially the practical jokes. He would have to find a balance between work and home, but he didn't think that was very hard, especially with his beautiful wife at his side. He was glad to be home.

THE END

**Thanks for reading! New story will be up on Sunday! The next one is fun, and it's much more case oriented! (and much loonger) Can't wait for you to read it! (oh, and don't worry, D will be in and out of the stories still, I just needed him to retire for two reasons, one is because he's getting too old to be out in the field [since he's the oldest], and the other, well, you'll find out why on Sunday!)**


End file.
